Spicy Lemon Chicken for Two

A few months ago, we asked you what you wanted to see more of on Everyday Good Thinking, and we got a few responses that really stood out. One such request was for healthy meals and meals for one or two people.

We created this delicious grilled chicken for the singles and couples who made these requests, but it’s easily adaptable for groups of any size. If you need to feed a larger crowd, simply multiply the recipe as needed.

The key to the pronounced lemon flavor in the chicken is the gorgeous marinade that’s prepared in a single-serve blender. Lemon juice, lemon zest, paprika, red pepper, rosemary, salt and pepper get blended into a quick and easy marinade that has a little zip and a lot of zing.

Let the chicken marinate for at least half an hour with some lemon slices and rosemary. You can cook the chicken on an indoor grill like we did (It’s still too chilly for us to grill outside most days.) or you can use an outdoor grill – whichever you prefer is fine.

I love the sizzle sound when you place something on a hot grill and the impressive grill marks you get when searing the chicken and lemons. Adding a few wet sprigs of rosemary to the grill creates a slight aroma the chicken absorbs. Flip it halfway through cooking, and use a meat thermometer to make sure you’re reaching the correct cooking temperature without overcooking the chicken. With poultry of any kind, you’re aiming for 165°F at the center.

Our recipe calls for serving the spicy lemon chicken breasts with a side of rice and we think it goes well with vegetables like asparagus, green beans, broccoli, peas, Brussels sprouts or couscous. It makes just enough for two, but if you’re cooking for one, why not make the full recipe and save the leftovers for lunch the next day?

There are many other uses for leftover spicy lemon chicken, so why not make a big batch sometime? I’ve used the leftover chicken breasts to top Greek salads, pasta with cream sauce, on grilled panini sandwiches and in chicken salad. There’s really nothing it can’t do – and the flavor is great.

5 Comments

Hi Melissa, great question. We think the marinade would be great on salmon or most white fish. It would probably work well with shrimp, too. Just keep in mind your grilling times will be different. For the best grilling times on salmon, check out our recipe for Grilled Maple-Glazed Salmon. Hope that helps!